Can antiseptic agents be sterilized?

When it comes to skin antiseptics, a common misperception is that they are sterile.

According to Dr. Alfa, the current process for sterilizing liquids uses steam, which would actually destroy the properties of the antiseptic agent.

Dr. Alfa explains more:

Why is there no requirement to have sterile antiseptics for use in healthcare?

Dr. Alfa goes on to explain that there’s a big difference between “sterile” and “sterilized.” Also, just because skin antiseptics aren’t labelled as sterile, it doesn’t imply the products are contaminated.

Dr. Alfa talks about that difference:

Understanding sterility markings on packaging.

This can be confusing when you’re trying to understand the packaging. Many skin antiseptics are, in fact, labeled “sterile.”

Dr. Alfa explains that this statement doesn’t apply to all package contents. “Sterile” can apply to applicators that have gone through a sterilization process – but it doesn’t always apply to the skin antiseptics solution inside the package.